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The Autism Speaks 100 Day Kit for Newly Diagnosed Families of Young Children was created specifically for families of children ages 4 and under to make the best possible use of the 100 days following their child's diagnosis of autism.
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The Autism Speaks 100 Day Kit is a tool designed to help assist families of children between the ages of 5 and 13 recently diagnosed with autism during the critical period following an autism diagnosis.
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The Advocacy Tool Kit aims to help both individuals on the spectrum and their families develop and use critical advocacy skills in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.
The goal of this tool kit is to provide a basic knowledge of More...

Behavioral challenges are a common problem for children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many children with ASD have challenges managing certain behaviors such as aggression or not following directions in addition to experiencing limitations in More...

More than half of children with autism take medicine at some point during their childhood. Deciding to use medicine to treat children with autism is a difficult decision for most families. The Autism and Medication: Safe and Careful Use tool kit was More...

Blood Draw Tool Kit for Parents
Has your child with ASD had a negative experience during a doctor’s visit that has left him or her feeling anxious? Does the prospect of having your child’s blood drawn make you anxious as well? Perhaps this More...

Many children experience a great deal of anxiety when visiting the dental practitioner’s office, especially those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Feelings of anxiety may be caused by a number of factors including a fear of the unknown, difficulties More...

Many children have constipation. Children with autism might have more problems with constipation than other children. Difficulty with things like sitting on the toilet and eating different foods can make treating constipation challenging.
The Guide for More...

Some researchers estimate that over half of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have some sort of issue with food. These feeding issues can be of significant concern to parents because they might impact their child’s health and wellbeing. More...

Parents never forget the feedback session as receiving a diagnosis of autism for their child can be a very stressful and overwhelming experience. However, while this is a difficult diagnosis to provide to a family, a well-run feedback session may also be a More...

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder have a higher risk of epilepsy compared to individuals in the general population and are often referred for an electroencephalogram (EEG). An EEG is a procedure or test that measures brain activity. This is done by More...

Pica, the repeated eating of non-food items, is the eating disorder most often displayed by children with autism. In published literature, the most common definition of pica is the placing of non-edible items past the plane of the lips. For example, a child More...

Many families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are faced with the option of using medicines to help treat their child’s challenging behaviors. This is a tough medical decision and there is no one right answer. Though many children More...

Many children with ASD have problems with sleep. Improving sleep habits helps many children, including those with ASD, get better sleep. But for some children with ASD, sleep problems happen even with good sleep habits.
Melatonin is a common medicine More...

This tool kit is an informational guide to Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). It is designed to provide you with a better understanding of ABA, how your child can benefit, and where/how you can seek ABA services. ABA is a set of principles that form the basis More...

Each child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is different. But children with ASD have some common problems that can make toileting training hard for them. Knowing about these problems can help you come up with different ways to meet your child’s More...

Puberty can be a time of mixed feelings for parents and pre-teens. It may be a time of pride and celebration, as well as a time of worry and confusion. It is hard for pre-teens to understand the many changes that come along with puberty. Also, parents may More...

New! Autism Speaks Launches New Tool Kit: Sleep Strategies for Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Guide for Parents!
Many teens with ASD have difficulty with sleep, which can affect their daytime functioning, as well as that of their families. This tool More...

New experiences, including medical visits, can be difficult for individuals with autism. A trip to the optometrist’s office for a vision exam is one type of medical visit that can be challenging because an eye exam may be upsetting for patients who are More...

Sometimes the difficulties of autism can lead to behaviors that are quite challenging for us to understand and address. Most individuals with autism will display challenging behaviors of some sort at some point in their lives. Autism Speaks has created this More...

Autism Speaks is excited to announce that the Community-based Skills Assessment (CSA), a tool to help you develop a personalized transition plan, is now an app, powered by Identifor.
Check out the app today by downloading it in the Apple or More...

Download the Dental Tool Kit here!
Oral health is a very important component of healthy daily living. But for some children with autism, oral health habits can be challenging. Autism Speaks has teamed up with Colgate and Philips-Sonicare to create a dental More...

Autism Speaks would like to help you with your employment search by giving you tools and tips while you look for a job.
As an adult on the autism spectrum, you have strengths and abilities that employers are just beginning to understand. We have written More...

Family members and friends of individuals with autism are presented with many joys and many challenges throughout their lives. Learning that a family member or friend is affected by autism is a powerful moment. People respond with a wide array of More...

New! Autism Speaks is excited to announce the launch of the Special Needs Financial Planner app. Learn more here!
The Autism Speaks Special Needs Financial Planning Tool Kit was developed to provide you with essential information and guidance you need to More...

If you have a concern about how your child is communicating, interacting or behaving, you are probably wondering what to do next. The First Concern to Action Tool Kit can help you sort that out. The purpose of this tool kit is to provide you with specific More...

We welcome you to join our 2 networking groups on LinkedIn - designed to connect members of the community around specific adult-related issues. Please join us!
Autism Employment Network, powered by Autism Speaks
Housing & Community Living More...

Individualized Education Program (IEP): Summary, Process and Practical Tips from Goodwin Procter LLP
After months of research, a team of lawyers at Goodwin Procter LLP has generously put together a helpful guide to help families understand the IEP More...

As autism awareness has grown dramatically in recent years, many young adults and adults have learned the signs and felt there may be a connection between their feelings and behaviors and the symptoms of autism.
Is It Autism and If So, What Next? A More...

Unfortunately, boys and girls with autism often face barriers to participating fully in youth community organizations. And so with help from respected experts in the field of autism and special education, experienced parents and caregivers, we have created More...

Purpose of this guide
The decision to become a participant in drug research is an important one, all the more so if you are making this decision for your child or other dependent. It is an option that is becoming increasingly available to individuals and More...

The Postsecondary Educational Opportunities Guide is designed to help you and your family explore the different opportunities and learning environments after leaving high school.
With only about one third of youth with autism attending college in young More...

Spreading autism understanding and acceptance in the classroom, schools and beyond is important all year long.
The Puzzle Piece Project Tool Kit is a fun and interactive educational tool kit for grade levels K-12 designed to increase students’ More...

A tool kit to assist members of the school community in understanding and supporting students with autism.
The purpose of this kit is to provide helpful information about students with autism and tools and strategies to achieve positive interactions and More...

The Autism Speaks Self-Funded Employer Tool Kit is designed to help families approach their self-funded "ERISA" employers about adding benefits to the company health plan.
Self-funded insurance plans are one of the most widely used forms of More...

Today, 1 in 68 American children is diagnosed with autism. As an early childhood educator, you may be the first to notice when a child is not meeting typical developmental milestones. When this happens, you need to talk to the parents and urge them to have More...

Haircuts can sometimes be difficult for people with autism. The challenges can range from sensory issues to anxiety about what will happen during the haircutting process. Autism Speaks has partnered with Snip-its and Melmark New England to develop a More...

New! Autism Speaks is excited to announce the launch of Version 2.0 of the popular Transition Tool Kit. The Autism Speaks Transition Tool Kit was created to serve as a guide to assist families on the journey from adolescence to adulthood.
The guiding More...

The Visual Supports and Autism Spectrum Disorder tool kit provides a step-by-step, easy-to-understand introduction to visual supports and the ways that parents and other caregivers can begin using them. The pamphlet provides practical examples of how to begin More...